Champaign County
The Champaign County National Balloon Championships has announced the appointment of Marsha Neal as Executive Director of the organization charged with putting on the official U.S. National Balloon Championship for 1998-2000.
Neal brings an extensive ballooning background to her new position including balloon event organization, corporate balloon program management and Balloon Federation non-profit management. Neal is an experienced hot air and gas balloon pilot and has managed international corporate balloon programs for a number of clients since 1983. In addition, she has organized a number of balloon events and safety seminars throughout the United States.
Neal currently serves as Vice President of The Balloon Federation of America and has served on the board of directors of that organization for six years. She has received numerous awards in ballooning including Fiesta Champion at the 1985 World Hot Air Balloon Championships, 1986 and 1987 National Gas Balloon Champion, and Fiesta Champion at the 1994 U.S. National Balloon Championship. She has been the subject of many TV and film documentaries as well as aviation books, the most recent being "Women and Flight" a Smithsonian Institute Air and Space Museum project published in March, 1997.
A native of Michigan, Neal will be relocating to Champaign County from her current location of Richmond, VA.
The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship represents the top level of competitive hot air ballooning in the United States. The Competition Division of the Balloon Federation of America selected Champaign County over all other competing sites to host this prestigious event in 1998, 1999, 2000.
The event is expected to draw over 200,000 spectators annually from the surrounding areas. In addition to the balloon competition spectators will be able to enjoy a number of related activities. These include a Balloon Night Glow, Special Shaped Hot Air Balloon display, major airshow, top musical entertainment and Funland midway.
For further information contact: Linda Zigament (217) 351-4133.
Andree Named to Hall of Fame
Salomon August AndrŽe, Swedish gas balloonist who tried to fly to the North Pole by balloon in 1887, will be posthumously inducted into the International Balloon & Airship Hall of Fame for 1997, housed at the Soukup & Thomas International Balloon & Airship Museum in Mitchell, SD, USA.
S.A. AndrŽe, born in Granna, Sweden in 1854, acquired his interest in ballooning during a visit to Philadelphia, USA in 1876. After making 9 training flights, where he collected meteorological data and conducted scientific experiments, he managed to raise the equivalent of US $5 million for his polar flight with the support of the King of Sweden and Swedish industry.
On July 11, 1897 his balloon …rnen (Eagle) was launched with S.A. AndrŽe, Nils Strindberg and Knut Fraenkel on board. They flew for 65 hours, 35 minutes before being forced to land on the ice after a flight of 400 km. The three men walked back until they found White Island, where they planned to spend the dark winter, but they died within a few weeks, probably infected by trichinosis after having eaten polar bear meat which had not been sufficiently cooked.
The world knew nothing of their fate until 1930 when Norwegian hunters found the remains of the team on a small island in northern Svalbard. The remains were brought to Sweden and the team's diaries and films were examined and developed.
Salomon August AndrŽe will be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame during the annual Corn Palace Rally Awards Banquet on Sunday, June 22, 1997.
Gulf of Finland crossed
On April 20 pilot Jan Frojdman and crew member Timo Sulin-Saaristo completed the first ever crossing of the Gulf of Finland by hot air balloon.
The flight started 20 km east of Helsinki in Sipoo and ended some nine km east of Tallinn. The distance over the gulf was about 100 km (62 miles) lasted 3 hours and 39 minutes.
Junior Balloonists
The Balloon Federation of America has introduced a Junior Balloonist Program. The program is designed to give the Junior Balloonists skills and values to carry with them into their future. This BFA Program is being developed to provide recognition and education for the young person joining BFA. It will provide an incentive and educational system for the Junior Balloonist to set and accomplish goals, giving them the knowledge and understanding of the sport that will provide the foundation of the future of ballooning.
To kick off this program Aerostar International, Cameron Balloons US, Head Balloons an Lindstrand Balloons USA are sponsoring an essay contest for the Junior Balloonists. Contest starts June 1 and entries must be postmarked by August 31, 1997. Winners will be announced at the BFA Annual Meeting in October at Albuquerque. The two winners will each receive a $500 savings bond. Contest is divided into two age categories, the first being 7-11 years of age and the second 12-17 years of age. Entries must be at least 250 words but no more than 300.
Question for 7-11 year old: What is the most memorable ballooning experience you've had and what is the most important thing you learned from that experience?
Question for 12-17 year old: What skills and values have you gotten since being involved in ballooning and how will it affect you as an adult?
Entries should be mailed to: Tina Reeves, 10472 Ashby Place Lane, St. Ann, MO 63074 or e-mail to: skyangel@stlmo.com (Entries need to include Jr. Balloonist Name, Address and age)
Tina Reeves told Balloon Life, "The future of ballooning lies in the enthusiasm of the younger balloonist. The BFA Jr. Balloonist Program nurtures that enthusiasm and provides an outlet for the young balloonist laying the foundation that will keep the young enthusiast a Ôballoon enthusiast' for life."
If you know of a youngster between the ages of 7-17 become a BFA mentor and sign them up so that they can enter this great BFA contest and have a chance at winning a $500 savings bond. For more information contact Tina Reeves.
World Record Approved
The FŽdŽration AŽronautic Internationale has homologated Steve Fossett and Bruce Comstock's altitude record for Roziere balloons. The record is for Class A (Free Balloons), sub-class AM (gas/hot air balloons) in the size category AM-8 (volume 1200 to 1600 cubic meters) to AM-15 (22,000 cubic meters and larger).
On September 22, 1996 Fossett and Comstock flew their Cameron R-77 to an altitude of 8,377 meters (27,352 feet) while conducting a test flight from Erie, Colorado to Carlton, Kansas. The primary purpose of the flight was to test equipment and gain data in preparation for Fossett's next around-the-world by balloon attempt. The previous record of 7,923 meters was set on June 8, 1994 by Steve Griffin.
AIBF Video Tape
In the March issue of Balloon Life the 25th Anniversary video tape of the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was reviewed. The review did not contain information on how to obtain the video. The tape is $25, including postage, and may be obtained by sending a check to Westcom Creative, 2295 Coburg Rd., Suite 105, Eugene, OR 97401. For credit card orders call (541) 484-4314.
Cameron US
Cameron US announced that in mid-April their homepage is available for viewing on the World Wide Web. Lorne Whittles, Business Manager, told Balloon Life, "The philosophy of our Web page revolves around making it as educational and informative as possible, and much more than pretty pictures alone."
The Cameron US Web Page features a link section that takes visitors to many balloon-related web pages, making it a good starting point for those balloonists new to the Internet. To pay a visit, the address is http://www.cameronballoons.com.
Five Years Ago in Balloon Life
* Balloon Federation of America fired Executive Director Jim Swanstrom amidst allegations of criminal mismanagement.
* FAA completed their extensive review and rewrite of FAR Part 61. John Lynch of the FAA told Balloon Life at the time that it would be at least one year before an NPRM would be issued.
* Thunder & Colt makes plans to sell its Airship Division.
Ten Years Ago in Balloon Life
* Don Piccard (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Brent Stockwell (Oakland, California) announced the formation of Balloon Systems, Inc. to manufacture, market and maintain Piccard balloons.
* Cameron and Thunder & Colt reached a settlement concerning Cameron's patented Pressure Scoop.
* Two Americans, Debbie Spaeth and Coy Foster, along with three Dutch balloonists, Henk and Evelien Brink and Willem Hageman were singled out for ballooning's highest honor, the Montgolfier Diploma.